Tag Archives: blessings

A Grand Parent’s Prayer

Posted on June 24, 2013 by expressyourself4him

One of my favorite movie lines comes from the 2005 documentary End of the Spear.  Based on the true story of Operation Auca, Jim Elliott and 4 other missionary’s lose their life trying to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the Waodani, a dangerous tribe from Ecuador.  Violence had prevented these men and women from ever becoming grandparents.  However, once their fearless leader, Mincayani embraces a new found faith, “this vicious cycle is stopped through peace, not by the end of the spear.”

The author of Psalm 128 shares a similar message.  Inside this short chapter, you will find an outline for blessings and prosperity.  Verse 1 claims fearing the Lord will lead you toward God’s ways.  If this advice is adhered to, you will experience the abundance within the flood gates of heaven, Malachi 3:10.  Yet, many still struggle with surrounding their entire lives to Christ, holding things back like Achan in Joshua 7.  As a result of partial acts of disobedience, many Christian’s are failing to live the abundant life which Jesus promises in John 10:10.  Instead, mediocrity reigns, leaving disappointment and unfulfilled expectations behind.

In my own life, I sense a time in the future when I could possibly become a grandparent.  While my parent’s worked hard for 40 years to achieve a better life in retirement, my generation may not be as fortunate.  The economy, inflation and societal demands has erased the life savings of many.  Yet, one thing the desperate can cling to is a grandparent’s prayer, “and may you live to see your children’s children.  Peace be upon Israel,” Psalm 128:6.

by Jay Mankus

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Lost Lips

Posted on June 11, 2013 by expressyourself4him

“I can’t believe I just said that,” occurs more and more in today’s society.  While working in Philadelphia nearly 15 years ago, I became a regular in an establishment in Bensalem, 30 minutes north of downtown, passing time during my hour long lunch break.  An older couple sat in their usual perch, spewing venom, cursing like sailors day in and day out.  Four letter words echoed throughout this restaurant, regardless if innocent ears were present or not.

In most cases, individuals are shaped by their parents or guardians, with the good, bad and ugly sprinkled in together.  Right and wrong is determined over time as one’s worldview draws the lines in the sand.  Those positive traits passed on to children, inspire kids to cling to and acquire these attributes.  Meanwhile, the bad habits demonstrated by misguided souls are left behind, at least as much as one can flee before their natures became ingrained within you.  Lost lips just don’t appear out of the blue, its a lifelong journey of picking up unwholesome slang deemed acceptable by peers.

The Psalmist provides a cure for this disease, a prescription to heal this ailment.  Psalm 119:13 suggest a spiritual washing your mouth out with soap.  Instead of regurgitating poisonous words, replace lost lips with the Words of the Bible.  As you recount God’s laws, blessings will replace any curses that you once verbalized.  Though your current state of affairs might be summed up as lost lips, there is a God in heaven who wants to transform your vocabulary, Ephesians 5:4.  Therefore, be wise, making the most of every conversation you partake in, Ephesians 5:15-16.

by Jay Mankus

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Not So Weak After All

Posted on April 11, 2013 by expressyourself4him

On my only day off during last week, I spent time helping finish field work in anticipation of Opening Day for Greater Newark Baseball.  Fighting a fever, extreme exhaustion and side effects from medicine, I quickly became emotionally drained.  Unable to sleep, I wrote a blog at 4:30 am, that’s in the morning for those who slept past noon over Spring Break.  Anyway, the only strength I could muster was a lame, but effective prayer, “In my weakness Lord, be strong today!”

Minutes after verbalizing these words, I lost my keys, was late to work and felt worthless for most of my first shift.  However, as I look back on my day, somewhere near the end of my first shift, the power of the Holy Spirit kicked in.  From there, God blessed me with one amazing encounter after another.

I was able to bring a smile to hundreds of children through a 30 minute long Chick-fil-A cow appearance at the Christiana Mall.  I nearly brought one parent to tears after offering her infant a Mini-Cow.  Another woman mumbled under her breath, “I need to eat Chick-fil-A, their people take care of their customers like first class citizens.”  Between 4-8pm this evening, I was walking on air, floating on the wings of angels.  Paul was right in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, when we are weak, Christ truly is strong, and not so weak after all!

by Jay Mankus

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The Real Incredible Hulk

Posted on March 3, 2013 by expressyourself4him

I’m not talking about Lou Ferrigno who played the Incredible Hulk for 5 seasons on the television series which aired on CBS from 1978-1982.  Nor am I referring to a Marvel Comic superhero like Spider Man, whose powers came as a result of a freak chemical accident.  Rather, the real incredible hulk was a man born around 1100 BC, over 3100 years ago.

In the annuals of history, records reveals civilizations of Nephilim, descendants of giants, Genesis 6:4.  However, the living hulk came from a traditional family, son of Manoah.  His birth in itself was a miracle, since his mother was sterile according to Judges 13:2-3.  Although an angel of the Lord foretold of Samson’s birth, this hulk received his power by keeping the Nazarene covenant with God: no razor shall touch his hair, no wine shall reach his lips and nothing unclean will touch his hands.

As a result, this incredible hulk tore apart the mouths of lions with his bare hands, Judges 14:5, killed 1,000 Philistines with a donkey’s jawbone, Judges 15:16 and pulled down the 2 pillars to a temple he was tied to, Judges 16:29-30.  Like comic book super heroes, Samson’s Kryptonite was a beautiful woman named Delilah.  Similar to a Hatfield marrying a McCoy, his marriage led to his subsequent death,  When Samson finally gave Delilah what she was after, the secret to his strength, his fate was sealed.

While alive, the incredible hulk did not rely on anger to display his might.  Samson’s supernatural power was bestowed upon him by God, a clear blessing from staying true to his parent’s vows.  Once Delilah cut his hair, Samson was powerless, cut off from God’s Spirit.  In this world filled with temptations, don’t allow compromise to render you useless.  Follow the words of Moses in Deuteronomy 28:1-2 and you will see incredible changes as you serve the Creator who endows all spiritual hulks!

by Jay Mankus

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The Hiding Place

Posted on February 26, 2013 by expressyourself4him

Hebrews 13:2 suggests that your life may intersect or come in contact with an angel.  From my vantage point, God has blessed me with several acquaintances in life, most of whom are flesh and blood.  Yet, there has only been one person who has introduced me to spiritual Hiding Places.

During a college internship southeast of Cleveland, Ohio, I met a construction worker unlike any human being I have ever encountered.  This young man worked hard at his trade, stood up for his faith daily and modeled a Christ like faith.  As we drew closer through a weekly Bible Study and church, Chris showed me a hidden gem on his property.  Formerly a Boy Scout Camp, his parents’ land contained an abandoned cabin in the woods.

This quaint setting became his closet, Matthew 6:6.  Prior to the invention of 5 Hour Energy Drinks, Chris used this room to access living water, John 4:13-14.  On bended knees, with out stretched arms toward heaven, the power of the Holy Spirit filled Chris’ each morning.  Followed by a consistent dose of God’s Word, my friend was ready for anything life threw his way, 1 Peter 3:15-16.  This remote building provided an ideal location to access the secret places of God, Song of Solomon 2:14.

As the world continues to search for alternative solutions to God, mere imitations continue to come up empty, time after time.  Artificial replacements might produce a  brief desire, energy boast or initial feeling, yet only one thing satisfies the human soul.  Jesus remains the only Real Thing in life that quenches the void within your heart.  If you want to taste success in life, find your own hiding place today, Psalm 143:9.  Create an atmosphere free from distractions, peaceful and isolated like the picture above.  The Bread of Life is waiting for you to arrive, John 6:47-48.

by Jay Mankus

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Right In Front of You

Posted on December 6, 2012 by expressyourself4him
Bruce Almighty

In the movie Bruce Almighty, Jim Carrey plays Bruce Nolan, a television reporter in Buffalo, New York.  Like many Americans, Bruce begins to blame God for the problems he is experiencing in life.  Thinking he has been dealt a bad hand in life, Bruce believes he can do a better job than God Almighty.  God, played by Morgan Freeman, responds by endowing Bruce with divine powers.  Until you switch places with another person or in this case God, you don’t realize that sometimes the answers to your prayers are right in front of you.

This is a lesson I learned yesterday.  When I use Psalm 5:3 as a model for prayer, I often expect God to answer me in my way or on my terms.  However, prayer is not like going to the check out counter after finding the Christmas presents you want.  Rather, prayer also involves listening, at times meditating on scripture and waiting in expectation of answers.  Yet, human nature has blinded me from the blessings, gifts and rewards God has already bestowed upon my family.  When the veil covering my eyes was released last night, two Christian co-workers were right in front of me, a clear answer to my prayers.

Most people dream of winning the lottery, thinking about all the good they could do with the money.  Thus, one day Bruce Nolan answered the people’s prayers, having millions of Americans win, splitting $3.33.  In response, people were angry with God because their own expectations were not fulfilled.  This leads me back to modern day, in a sputtering economy, with joblessness and not enough money to afford the littlest of gifts.  Free will enables each person to act as they wish like Bruce Nolan in the movie.  However, in this Christmas season please don’t overlook the good tidings, given from above, James 1:17, that are right in front of you!

by Jay Mankus

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Give Me A Clue Lord

Posted on November 15, 2012 by expressyourself4him

Sometimes I feel as if life is an endless game show filled with segments of Charades, Hangman and Wheel of Fortune.  Like a Nickelodeon late night rerun, I have moments where I feel as if I am acting out life just as God intended.  Unfortunately, there are other choices, decisions and errors I make which put me one step closer to game over.  Or there are days like today in which I am compelled to buy a vowel so I can begin to solve the puzzle staring at me.  In other words, give me a clue Lord.

The prophet Elijah had similar feelings in 1 Kings 19:10.  After receiving a death threat from Queen Jezebel, Elijah literally runs for his life without crying out to the Lord in prayer.  While on the run, Elijah begins to feel all alone, as if there is no one else on earth who understands what he is going through.  In this desperate state, the Lord gives Elijah a series of clues to bring him back on track, 1 Kings 19:11-13.

Besides fasting, prayer and reading the Bible, there is one clue most believers fail to notice or recognize, the whisper of God.  No, I am not talking about The Sixth Sense scene when Cole says, “I see dead people!”  Rather, I am referring to God’s still small voice, similar to a sheep being able to recognize their shepherd’s voice, John 10:4-5.  If you are paying attention to your surroundings, alert and sober, you will be more likely to discern what God wants you to do, respond or say, leading to more clues.

Like the search in the first National Treasure film, your quest for life’s answers can lead you on a wild goose chase.  In fact, those around you may even try to convince you to quit, giving up before you obtain your dream.  Nonetheless, this is when you have to dig down deep, cling to what you know is right and follow the Holy Spirit, Galatians 5:25.  There will be distractions along the way, Matthew 7:13-14, but if you fully obey God’s commands, these clues will lead you to a promised land, Deuteronomy 28:1-2.

by Jay Mankus

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Blessings and a Curse

Posted on March 16, 2012 by expressyourself4him

Since being left go on January 2nd, I have received many blessings.  The out pouring of support, constant messages of people praying for me on Facebook and getting to know my children has been special.  For the past 10 years, my wife has been a widow during the golf season while I worked 12-16 hours and day for 3 months, often getting home after everyone is asleep or at least in bed.  Now, I spend 30 minutes to an hour playing golf with Daniel and Lydia on my golf green in our backyard after school.  My children also have helped me with my recent you tube videos as well.

Another thing God has revealed to me is the blessing of time.  Time to read books and the Bible every day.  Time to write Express Yourself, send out my daily blog and correspond with people on Facebook that I haven’t seen in almost 20 years.  Time to coach Daniel’s baseball team and time to help lead a Thursday night Bible Study.  While I was teaching, I always felt rushed, never taking or feeling like I could spend time with my co-workers.  Now, I have had the opportunity to spend time once a week with Spencer Saints, a dear friend and co-worker who is in the same position I am, unemployed.

This leads me to my curse, unable to currently provide for my family.  In the back of my mind, I always thought I would be at Red Lion until Lydia graduated, but this was not God’s plan.  I know some time, hopefully sooner than later, God will open a door so that I can walk through it by faith.  However, for know I feel like an explorer, either about to fall off the flat earth or discover a new land, filled with milk and honey.  I feel compelled to complain like David, asking God for justice, as the wicked prosper, I am struggling to keep my head above the flood waters of debt.  In the end, I know God has a plan, I’m just waiting in the dark, pleading for a prompt answer.  In life there are many blessings, but the greatest curse is forgetting just how blessed we really are to live in the greatest country in the world.  May God bless the U.S. of A.

by Jay Mankus

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